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Tuesday, 25 August 2015

REVIEW TOUR & #GIVEAWAY - Moonflower by Leigh Archer

Moonflower

by Leigh Archer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Sophie Kyle, takes up a position on a private game farm outside Cape Town in the hopes of paying off her student loans and adding a glowing reference to her resume. And, of course, getting the chance to indulge her passion for wildlife conservation.

Reuben Manning is a British businessman who has bought a game farm in Africa which he intends to use as a venue to entertain friends and business associates.

With all the suddenness and intensity of a bushfire, a powerful attraction ignites between the conservationist and the tycoon. But their lives are set to play out on opposite sides of the world. Sophie has only ever wanted to spend her days in the African bush, while Reuben’s life is in corporate London.

As the sensuous bond between the two grows, they must overcome obstacles to find common ground or they are doomed, despite their passion for each other, to spend the rest of their lives a continent apart.

Excerpt:

The cabin had been transformed into a fantasy bushveld haven of browns, creams and ochre; linen, silks and woven thread.

‘How?’ she breathed, gazing around her.

‘You approve?’

‘Do I approve? It’s beautiful. But when did you do all this? We were here… four days ago. It was in a complete mess…’

‘When there’s something I want, Sophie, I stop at nothing ’til I get it.’

The thudding of Sophie’s heart told her he meant every word he said. He had spoken with utter certainty. He was standing so close to her she had felt the breath of his words against the bare skin of her shoulder. He was a phenomenon. A whirlwind. A tornado. Passing through her life with such force she wondered if she had the strength to survive the encounter.

‘It’s beautiful,’ Sophie breathed softly, feeling calm, at peace; as if she moved in the eye of the storm.

‘It’s for you, Sophie.’

The tenderness of his words made her tip backwards, towards him, knowing he would not let her fall. She felt the press of his chest against her back. She knew why he had brought her here, the reason he’d done this for her, but she wanted to hear the sound of his voice, that sent a frisson of pleasure up her spine. ‘Why?’

He touched her shoulder; ran fingertips lightly down and along her bare arms. He kissed her shoulder, his lips feather-light against her skin. ‘Because I can’t promise you anything… except this, Sophie; here and now. You deserve more, but I’m not the one to give you that. Still, I want this to be special for you…’ He paused. ‘This has to be a time apart. There’s no future in it. Do you understand that, Sophie? Do you accept my terms?’

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian I Dig Good Books.

3/5 (Good)

*I received a copy of this story from Goddess Fish Promotions in exchange for a fair and honest review.*

This was an okay story line and overall good book. A business tycoon falls in love with a simple incredibly smart conservationist. There were plenty of scorching hot bedroom scenes between the two and several occasions of witty banter back and forth between the two.

This story was lacking something and I can’t quite figure out what it was. The chemistry between the two at the beginning and first portion of the book seemed off and seemed slightly forced? I’m not one that’s against insta-love but it has to be written right for it to work and at the beginning where it starts, it didn’t feel like it was supposed to be. Later in the story as chemistry builds between the two and they get to know one another and have more interactions the relationship and feelings seem much more natural and are much easier to read.

The story did build and get more interesting in the second half doing a much better job pulling you into the story and into the characters’ lives. The author also did a great job describing the atmosphere, landscape, and talking about the animals. The baboon parts were probably the best and left me laughing every time!

Overall, I’m quite pleased with the read and am happy I read it. It’s enjoyable and I do think that it’s one you should give a chance to read.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Leigh writes romance novels set in her native South Africa. She has always had a love affair with Africa’s wild spaces, the intensity of its people and sunsets. Her love of storytelling began as a child when she spent every spare moment playing barefoot in golden grass, watching meerkats, learning to track spoor and dreaming up heroes and heroines dynamic enough to stand out in all the beauty and drama of the African landscape.

Always in search of adventure, Leigh’s journey as a writer has taken her from journalism to communications, all the way to writing novels.

Hi Mai T.I have been telling stories since I was a child and I think taking the step of sitting down and getting something on paper felt natural to me. Starting to write a book is quite a bit easier than seeing it through to the end though!